Ed Balls has admitted he was caught speeding through some roadworks and had to
attend an "awareness course"

The shadow Chancellor made the embarrassing revelation on his website, saying he had been caught by the cameras "like many local people".

He said the incident happened at the "never-ending roadworks on the M62", where he had been doing 56 miles per hour in a 50 zone.

He said he was "caught and bang to rights" as he pulled on to the motorway at Morley without realising that restrictions were still in place.

He attempted a wry joke about his situation by saying he had been "Going too far, too fast" - the phrase he uses to describe George Osborne's efforts to cut the deficit.

"I paid my fine and chose to attend a speed awareness course," he said. "I currently have no points on my licence and would like to keep it that way. Which is why, this week, I ended up in the Holiday Inn with 39 others.

Mr Balls has been leading a local campaign for 20 mile per hour speed limit zones.

He said the course had helped him see first hand how "important reducing speed is to saving children’s lives".

Mr Balls described it as "very professional and actually really worthwhile".

"What hit home were the statistics which link speed to car deaths," he said. "At 20 mph, less than 10 per cent of people will lose their lives if hit by a car. But the probability rises exponentially, going above 40 per cent at 40mph."